Achieving "net zero" is the world's key target for fighting climate change, which is already having serious consequences for people and nature around the globe. Prior legislation were passed committing the UK to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. In the following years there have been a number of policies in place to reach the UK net zero target, and these are currently implemented in several sectors. In practice, reducing these emissions means largely switching away from coal, oil and gas to cleaner sources like wind, nuclear and solar power. Specifcally, nuclear energy has been a sector which has developed and improve in order to meet the Net Zero Goal with research and development carried out to enable this, this is obvious with project like the Hicknely Point C and Sizewell project which are making use of improved nuclear technology.
As defined by World Nuclear Association - Small modular reactors (SMRs) are small nuclear power plants that produce up to about 300 megawatts of electricity. They are built in factories as separate modules, which makes them quicker and cheaper to build than traditional large reactors. The small modular reactor (SMR) is being thwarted as a game change in the nuclear industry, owing to the lower cost for manufacturing and low- or non-carbon nature of nuclear energy production.The Small Modular Reactor (SMR) could provide such a reliable, deliverable and economically viable prospect needed to meet Net zero goal. For much of their early life, traditional nuclear generation projects are large, complex, challenging construction projects, typically classified as mega-projects, contrarily small modular reactors are all typically projected to cost less. Precise costs vary but are predominately driven by the risks to investment and the cost of finance for a project.
While many traditional nuclear reactors use water as both a coolant and a neutron moderator, not all SMRs rely on water. Some new SMR designs use alternative coolants or passive safety systems that allow them to operate without the need for large volumes of water. This gives option to build SMR nuclear plants in new locations that are not tied to cooling water access. For the UK, this option opens up much wider opportunities than the traditional eight sites identified in the current National Policy Statement (NPS) for Nuclear Power Generation which includes existing industrial and previous coal-fired power plant sites.These potential of the small modular reactor are quite evident, with potential to deliver consumers in the UK large cost savings on electricity, making SMR-produced power a more reliable competitor to wind and solar power and providing the opportunity for continued cost reduction over time. Despite only taking up one-tenth of the space of a conventional nuclear power plant, SMR promises to power up to one million homes, delivering a powerful, ‘always on’ solution. Projects from Rolls-Royce SMR for instance will have the capacity to generate 470mw of low-carbon energy the equivalent of more than 150 onshore wind turbines for at least 60 years, helping to support the roll-out of renewable generation. Further, recent investment from the UK government in research on SMR leaves room for more improvement to pre-existing knowledge.
SMRs are considered a promising advancement in nuclear energy technology due to their compact design this is leading to an anticipated paradigm shift towards a more environmentally sustainable energy market. As part of the UK Government’s ‘The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution’, £210 million of UK Research and Innovation funding has already gone towards realizing the SMR vision for a cleaner and more sustainable future. As a carbon free source of energy, nuclear power may prove to be a valuable technology for climate change mitigation. In this context, SMRs have been receiving considerable attention as an important nuclear technology option. I believe small modular reactors can be a vital part of the answer to the net zero mission. They offer a realistic possibility of predictable deployment, replication and falling costs. Thus further research and implementation should be carried out as this would be of benefit to the UK and global at large.